Autism and Brain Training

Until recently, April was designated as National Autism Awareness Month. Now, many of the bigger autism organizations refer to April as Autism Acceptance Month. Why? According to  Autism Society of America President and CEO Christopher Banks, acceptance is often one of the biggest barriers to finding and developing a strong support system.

Another change that impacted the autism community came in 2013, when the American Psychiatric Association released the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The group broadened its reference of the four distinct autism diagnoses (which included Asperger syndrome, autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified) under the umbrella diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Although the shifts in language and classification may help families in their fight for inclusion, treatment, and accommodations for their loved one with ASD, the changes provide no more insight into an individual’s cognitive abilities.

One test that can help identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses associated with a learning struggle is a Brain Skills Assessment.

What are cognitive skills?

A Cognitive Skills Assessment is a measurement of cognitive skill strength. Also known as “brain skills,” cognitive skills are the fundamental tools we use to learn, read, remember, and pay attention. They include:

• Attention (sustained, selective, and divided)

• Auditory Processing

• Logic & Reasoning

• Memory (long-term and working)

• Processing Speed

• Visual Processing

At LearningRx, we use a gold-standard Brain Skills Assessment to identify which cognitive skills are strong and which could use a boost. The test only takes about an hour and the results can provide valuable insight into what’s holding your loved one back from reaching their full potential in school, work, or life.

While it’s possible that a single cognitive skill can be at the root of learning struggles, we’ve found that it’s common for people on the autism spectrum to have a cluster of cognitive skills that are impacting performance.

How do you train cognitive skills?

Using the results of the Brain Skills Assessment, our team of cognitive skills trainers creates a personal brain training program designed to target and strengthen the skill or skills most in need of a boost.

The student meets with a personal brain trainer throughout the duration of a program. Using game-like mental exercises that are both fun and challenging, we incorporate intensity, loading, feedback, and other features to work on the brain skills that need the most help.

Based on 35 years of research and development, LearningRx’s personal brain training programs help our clients develop stronger brain skills that will enhance their everyday life.

Our results working with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Among 1,049 clients who came to LearningRx with a diagnosis on the autism spectrum, the average gain in cognitive skills was 3.2 years. The largest gain was 4.5 years in auditory processing. The mean age of the children, who were between 4 and 17, was 10.7. The mean age of the adults, who were between 18 and 63, was 22.6.

In addition to clinical data, anecdotal evidence from parents of children with ASD can help explain how personal brain training helped target and train cognitive skills. Here are two stories from former LearningRx clients who were diagnosed with ASD:

            • Matthew Evans of Chattanooga, for example, came to LearningRx with an ASD diagnosis. He was at risk of being retained for another school year and struggled with reading, memory, and comprehension issues, as well as low confidence.

            After completing a LearningRx personal brain training program, Matthew’s mom says that he started reading, having conversations with other kids, and demonstrating more confidence. When he went back for a new school year, his teachers were amazed at his progress. His mom says LearningRx took the “hard parts of autism and the things he couldn’t understand and made them bearable.” Now Matthew plans to be a veterinarian.

LearningRx Student of the Year: Matthew Evans

            • For Jayden Fryer of Woodbury, Minnesota, who was diagnosed with autism, there were concerns that he wasn’t being challenged enough in school. He had issues with confidence and his frustrations began manifesting as behavioral issues.

            After his grandmother enrolled him in LearningRx 1-on-1 brain training, Jayden blossomed. “He has more confidence, is willing to try new things and is following directions better,” says his grandmother, adding, “In school, he’s finally experiencing the challenges he needed to succeed.”

Teen with Autism "Blossomed" with LearningRx Brain Training | Woodbury, MN Review

            If your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, call your local LearningRx personal brain training center to schedule a Cognitive Skills Assessment. Once the weak brain skills are identified, a customized program will target and train those skills.

Why tutoring may not help students with Autism

When new students come to LearningRx, we’re often asked about the difference between tutoring and personal brain training.

Tutoring is an academics-based solution that delivers or redelivers material that was missed the first time. It can be beneficial if a student moved mid-school year or missed a significant chunk of instruction due to an extended illness or injury. At its essence, tutoring helps students get “caught up” when they’ve fallen behind in a subject because they missed it being taught the first time.

Personal brain training, however, is a skills-based solution that can help students who have a learning struggle. When all of the student’s cognitive skills are strong, learning (in any subject) is faster and easier. But when one or more cognitive skills impedes a student from learning at their fullest potential, it can make learning, understanding, applying, and remembering new information difficult.

If you’re trying to determine which solution might be right for your student, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Was my student performing well in their classes before they missed a lot of school?

If so, tutoring might help them get caught up.

2. Is my student struggling only in one class (e.g., history)?

If so, tutoring in history might be all they need to get caught up.

3. Has my student been struggling in school year after year and/or in multiple classes?

If so, personal brain training is likely your best option.

Ready to get started? Visit www.LearningRx.com to find your nearest LearningRx center and schedule a one-hour Brain Skills Assessment.